Kinorhyncha

Kinorhyncha
Temporal range: Early Cambrian–Recent[1]
Echinoderes hwiiza
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Clade: Bilateria
Clade: Nephrozoa
(unranked): Protostomia
Superphylum: Ecdysozoa
Clade: Scalidophora
Phylum: Kinorhyncha
Reinhard, 1881
Orders

See text

Kinorhyncha /knˈrɪŋkə, kɪnə-/ (Ancient Greek: κινέω, romanizedkīnéō, lit.'I move', ῥύγχος rhúnkhos "snout") is a phylum of small marine invertebrates that are widespread in mud or sand at all depths as part of the meiobenthos. They are commonly called mud dragons. Modern species are 1 mm (0.039 in) or less, but Cambrian forms could reach 4 cm (1.6 in).[2]

  1. ^ Zhang, Huaqiao; Xiao, Shuhai; Liu, Yunhuan; Yuan, Xunlai; Wan, Bin; Muscente, A. D.; Shao, Tiequan; Gong, Hao; Cao, Guohua; et al. (26 November 2015). "Armored kinorhynch-like scalidophoran animals from the early Cambrian". Nature. 5: 16521. Bibcode:2015NatSR...516521Z. doi:10.1038/srep16521. hdl:10919/74307. PMC 4660871. PMID 26610151.
  2. ^ "'Mindblowing' haul of fossils over 500m years old unearthed in China". The Guardian. 21 March 2019.